Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 7]
kill Paul as soon as they got him out of the temple area (Ac
21:30f.). {Stoned} (\elithoboloun\). Imperfect active indicative
of \lithobole•\, began to stone, from \lithobolos\ (\lithos\,
stone, \ball•\, to throw), late Greek verb, several times in the
N.T. as Lu 13:34. Stoning was the Jewish punishment for
blasphemy (Le 24:14-16). {The witnesses} (\hoi martures\). The
false testifiers against Stephen suborned by the Pharisees (Ac
6:11,13). These witnesses had the privilege of casting the first
stones (De 13:10; 17:7) against the first witness for Christ
with death (_martyr_ in our modern sense of the word). {At the
feet of a young man named Saul} (\para tous podas neaniou
kaloumenou Saulou\). Beside (\para\) the feet. Our first
introduction to the man who became the greatest of all followers
of Jesus Christ. Evidently he was not one of the "witnesses"
against Stephen, for he was throwing no stones at him. But
evidently he was already a leader in the group of Pharisees. We
know from later hints from Saul (Paul) himself that he had been a
pupil of Gamaliel (Ac 22:3). Gamaliel, as the Pharisaic leader
in the Sanhedrin, was probably on hand to hear the accusations
against Stephen by the Pharisees. But, if so, he does not raise
his voice against this mob violence. Saul does not seem to be
aware that he is going contrary to the views of his master,
though pupils often go further than their teachers.
7:59 {They stoned} (\elithoboloun\). Same verb and tense
repeated, they kept on stoning, they kept it up as he was calling
upon the Lord Jesus and making direct prayer to him as "Lord
Jesus" (\Kurie I•sou\). {Receive my spirit} (\dexai to pneuma
mou\). Aorist middle imperative, urgency, receive it now. Many
have followed Stephen into death with these words upon their
dying lips. See, 9:14,21; 22:16.
7:60 {Kneeled down} (\theis ta gonata\). Second aorist active
participle of \tith•mi\, placing the knees (on the ground). This
idiom is not in the old Greek for kneeling, but Luke has it five
times (Lu 22:41; Ac 7:60; 9:40; 22:36; 21:5) and Mark once
(15:19). Jesus was standing at the right hand of God and
Stephen knelt before him in worship and called on him in prayer.
{Lay not this sin to their charge} (\m• st•s•is autois taut•n t•n
hamartian\). First aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive with
\m•\, regular Greek idiom, Place not to them or against them
(dative \autois\) this sin. The very spirit of Jesus towards his
enemies as he died upon the Cross (Lu 23:34). {He fell asleep}
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC7.RWP.html (17 of 18) [28/08/2004 09:06:33 a.m.]